Category: Meals

Beer Barbecue Sauce

Recipe by Caitlin King

Sweet, savory, tangy and ever-so-easy, our beer barbecue sauce goes with everything grillable and is open to experimentation: Pour in a porter when you’re cooking beef, an amber ale for chicken, and something fruity when you’re working with pork.

In a saucepot over medium-high heat, add the oil, onion and garlic; cook until the onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, honey Dijon, molasses, brown sugar, salt, pepper and hot sauce; bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the sauce from heat and add the beer, . For a smoother sauce, strain out the onions or pulse in a blender.

Master the beer barbecue sauce

Slather a seriously savory (and seriously easy) brew-based barbecue sauce on beef, chicken or pork. Use our basic recipe below, and change the beer according to what you grill.

You’re grilling: beef Pour in: a porter

A malty beer with a dose of roast makes a thick, rich sauce that stands up to burly beef flavor; a smooth porter laden with chocolate or smoke can muscle its way through all that meat. Heat lovers: Add a teaspoon of chopped chilies or a few dashes of extra hot sauce; a porter base will be thick and sweet enough to handle it.

You’re grilling: chicken Pour in: an amber ale

Chicken’s moist white meat opens up nicely to the gentle malt flavors of a well-balanced amber; the beer’s caramel notes and pop of citrusy hops are strong enough to counter the smoke and spice that develop on the grill—think sweet meets savory.

You’re grilling: pork Pour in: a fruit ale

No matter the cut, pork’s a juicy, tender blank canvas. A sweet apricot ale or berry lambic pumps up barbecue sauce’s sweetness; the pork’s earthiness keeps the sugar in check. Fruit acids make them natural meat tenderizers; consider adding chopped fresh or glazed apricots or raspberries into the mix for extra fruit flavor.

Place skillet with vegetables over medium-high heat. Add canned beef broth and whisky and bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Boil until liquid is reduced to 2/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Strain sauce and return to skillet.

Mix flour and butter in small bowl until smooth paste forms. Add to sauce in skillet and whisk until well blended. Add whipping cream, crushed black peppercorns and any accumulated juices from beef. Simmer over medium heat until sauce thickens, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt.

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add beef and all its juices, and brown on all sides, about 20 minutes or until liquid cooks off. Add vegetables, 3 cans of beef broth, and beer. Empty can of tomato paste into a small bowl. Fill empty tomato paste can with water and combine with tomato paste, then add to saucepan. Cook stew uncovered for 1 hour, 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, combine remaining can of beef broth with flour to make a paste. Add flour paste to saucepan and stir to incorporate and thicken. Cook an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Preparation

Cook beef, bell pepper, and next 2 ingredients in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain well, and return to Dutch oven.

Stir in tomatoes and next 5 ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Stir in corn, and cook, uncovered, 15 minutes or until squash is tender and chili is thickened.

Directions

In a small bowl combine the cumin, chili powder, pumpkin pie spice, oregano, 2 teaspoons salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

In a large pot over medium heat add the olive oil, beef cubes and half of the seasoning. Cook until the beef is browned on all sides, but not cooked through; remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste and hot sauce. Stir and cook until everything turns a dark reddish brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ground beef and sprinkle over the remaining seasoning. Stir and cook until beef is browned then add the reserved beef chunks back to the pot along with the cornmeal, wine, stock, and the squash. Raise the heat until it comes to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and cook until the beef is tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and let the chili cook another 15 minutes, until it is thick and the liquid is reduced.

Preparation

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender and golden, about 9 minutes. Add squash; stir 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin. Stir in beans, broth, and tomatoes with juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in chard; simmer until chard is tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chili into bowls and serve.

John Washabaugh – cheese dip in the crock pot. I make 1 lb of taco meat, usually ground turkey, two pound blocks of velveeta, 1 jar of ragu double cheddar sauce, 2 cans of chili (whatever your preference is) and a bag of mexican blend shredded cheese. Just melt everything together in the crockpot, and take a couple bags of tortilla chips.

Mike Hype used to make “Dion Dogs”… I think it was just Velveeta and Hormel Chili… mixed in a crock pot & slathered on top of unsuspecting hot dogs. It was also almost always guaranteed to cause gastrointestinal distress.

Made this for dinner last night, it was pretty tasty. I baked the chicken breasts instead of boiling. I used full-size breasts, rubbed with olive oil and peppered, and roasted them at 375° for about 45 minutes.